re: Diva Cup etc.

Tara - posted on 11/21/2010
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After my fifth child was weaned and I got my period back full force, I bought a Diva Cup. I had never liked pads at all, and had a lot of issues with tamons, mainly odor and dryness. Then I read about the manufacturing process of tampons and was appalled at the amount of chemicals I was inserting inside me for roughly 12 weeks a year.So I switched over to the cup and have been happy since, doesn't gross me out at all, there is no odor and there are no issues with leakage etc. I find it's easier, can stay in longer and reduces my life long cramping. (which is one of the reasons I switched to it, on referral from my midwife) I love my cup!!Just Sayin.... for anyone who might be considering a switch to a more environmental protection and who want to use something more natural. It's just silicone. :)Tara

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Tara - posted on 11/23/2010

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LOL, I'm so glad I started this thread, so much entertainment packed into such an innocuous thread!

Anyhow,Emptying twice a day, usually means no need to empty at work, DOES not need to be boiled, and if you choose to is done at the end of the period.Silicone that is inserted and removed is different than liquid silicone that is implanted and can leak into your blood stream. Hard silicone is so much better than the chlorine bleach and fungicides found in tampons.It helps with cramping because it gently opens your vaginal canal, thereby allowing an easier passage of blood, as well, this slight opening seems to shorten the length of bleeding as the blood can flow more readily.The reason smell is an issue for most women, especially at the end of your period is because of the accumulation of "old" blood inside your vagina, with the cup, blood is expedited down the canal and out.My midwife told me that the cup puts gentle pressure on certain nerves that suppress back ache and lower uterine cramps. It works for me and everyone I've converted!

I bought my cup from an independent distributor,I found her online, it cost me $29 Cdn. tax in. well worth the price. I have converted at least a dozen people onto the Diva.It seems to help with cramping and back ache too. Oh whoever mentioned the stem, it's a piece at the bottom of the cup that you use to grasp and pull it out when it needs to be emptied. It is designed to be trimmed to fit. If you leave it too long it will poke and dig into places that will make you walk funny. So as the other poster said, take the time to get to know your cup, lol

To add and sorry if this is just TMI but I'm sure some of you can relate.

My biggest complaint about tampons was always taking out a tampon when my flow was light and feeling that awful dry pulling, as if I were trying to extract my uterus.using the tampon as a pull strap.

The Diva cup is never dry. I can put it in the day I think I"m due with my period, it doesn't bother me at all, I can't feel it, if I don't start that day or night, then I just take it out and clean it off. It doesn't suck up my "womanly fluids" the way a tampon does. That's another reasons some people cramp more with tampons than pads, there is that ever present dryness, literally sucking up your fluids like a sponge, rather than catching them like a drip pan.

So many reasons I would never go back to tampons or pads, I also like that no matter where I am I always have my feminine protection.

"i am just really small up there or something and could never get the tampons in!"

Oh, honey.. Please. If you can A) pass a baby through or at least B) have sex with a man, you can at least fit a light tampon up there.. I mean, they're as slim as someone's pinky! It COULD be that your flow just wasn't enough for the tampon size you were trying to use (ie: using super tampon when you're light or even using a reg. tampon when you're only spotting). If there's hardly any blood, the tampon will not go up- Much like if you're trying to have sex and there's not enough lube it can feel tight and tug and hurt you. (sorry.. TMI, I know..)

Before I got pregnant for the second time, I tried it out an actually wasn't too fond of it, I don't know if I was using it wrong, I followed the instructions but I don't know, it's seemed to "long" and not only the stem stuck out, but a tiny but of the cup too.. I know it went all the way to my cervix (because it suctioned well enough) but I hated that feeling, I had to reaadjust it everytime i sat down and stood back up.. I may try it again when I get my real periods back after #3 and see if maybe I was doing ti wrong, but I was pretty dissapointed with it to be honest. Maybe i'm just hopeless at putting it in...

I bought one about 6 months ago and I love it. Moreover, I save LOADS of money. It barely ever leaks and when it does, it's usually my fault. I hated to think of all the chemicals they use to bleach tampons and pads yikes. Moreover, even the most absorbent tampons don't last more than a few hours since my flow is so heavy... Very satisfied with it.

Thank-you Cathy, we don't have that brand here, so I am NOWHERE near Jessica Simpson stupidity! Oh and I certainly know the difference between tuna and a chicken, one is silver and round and the other has feathers...

I have what they call "the keeper" I've used one since I was 22 and I'm 32 now and I'm only on my second due to buying the next size up for after vaginal delivery! I love it and it's awesome and really does cut down on cramps and COST of pads/tampons. I do wear a liner with it not for fear of it overflowing, just for peace of mind.

hahah Toni - you trip me out!! Jessica Simpson had this huge thing a few years ago on her stupid reality show. She was eating a can of tuna fish called Chicken of the Sea and she seriously didn't know if it was chicken or tuna fish....

you're right Katherine. TMI alert. I'm on my perioud right now and I accidentally left it floating in the tiolet yesterday morning before I got into the shower cause I didn't want to flush. It would def save those embarrasing moments when jon finds it. ewww gross! I don't even like to see that. lol

What is it with men and being grossed out by nature? Seriously......My 13 year old asks questions about it all the time. Believe it or not, he is less grossed out by the idea of a period than my husband is.

I've bought pregnancy tests from a dollar store. yes, they do work. told me very early when pregnant with twins (hcg levels higher though) but the fertility counsellor I was seeing told me she had heard of people having success with them. saves a ton of $ and you can do them as often as you want!

I might not get a chance to use it in the next 60 days... I'm 2 days late.. but my periods are all screwy because i'm still breastfeeding so that's no surprise, just makes the pregnancy test people a heck of a lot of money off my paranoia! I'll check out the other pharmacies in my area, they seem to sell them at all of the big chain around here for 37$..

NOPE! I'm not joking!! I'm really serious!! The sad thing is I have a masters degree. My husband says I am amazingly book smart but have absolutely NO common sense. He's not kidding either! I am not as bad as Jessica Simpson though. I do know what Chicken of the sea is!! Lol...

@ Christina...thank you!! I really believed it was because I was small. I may have not been using the right size for the flow...I never knew you have to choose a tampon for the flow. I thought you chose by the size of your vagina..LOL! Like big loose vag = super size haha!! boy do i feel dumb!!

as for sex...hubby has an 8 incher...it always took a few minutes to get started. that led me to believe I was small too, but maybe all i need is some KY jelly...haha!! ok sorry for the TMI but i've come to the conclusion that this is the TMI thread!!

I am really loving all of this info! I cannot wait to get mine and start using it next month. I sometimes have awful periods. In fact I've used 3 boxes of tampons this period because it's been so heavy! So thanks Tara so sharing this!

Hi AmandaI paid just under $30 Cdn. for mine. They last up to 3 years and then you just replace with a new one. They come with instructions on insertion, but it's much the same as a diaphragm or sponge, it's folded in half on itself lengthwise and inserted so the stem end (bottom of the cup ) is just flush with your external parts or just inside you.(that's why the stem can be trimmed).They can be worn all night, they actually come with a graduated volume measuring system on the side, so you can tell how much you bleed each month. Mine is in ounces.It took me about one period to get to the point of being totally comfortable with my cup.

OK - I was having major computer issues and have been going through withdrawl LOL - I'm addicted to debating now!! Anyway, I did manage to see the first 2 pages of this the other day before my computer crashed and for some reason decided to tell Brian about the Diva Cup - he said that was a conversation he never had to have LMAO!!!!! I have heard of it before and was grossed out, but I think it might be something I could use. I'm another one that has issues with tampons coming out now that I've had kids, and that's with using the bigger ones and I know that's not the best thing to do because I don't need the extra absorbency - just the size.